LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Garland (Corky) Bell
Executive Director, Riverside County Deputy Relief Foundation
Retired Deputy Garland (Corky) Bell is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award because of his dedication and lifetime commitment to the communities of the Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Bell is also dedicated to the work he does for his charity, the Debbie Chisholm Memorial Foundation (DCMF). Bell is the Executive Director and founder of DCMF. Since 1994, DCMF has dedicated itself to granting wishes of seriously and terminally ill children in the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. The children come from every corner of the Inland Empire, and many kids are referred for wishes by the Children’s Oncology Ward at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Bell has made this foundation unique from others by creating a lasting and remarkable bond between each child and their personal wish provider. He also regularly schedules bimonthly trips to Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, where he and other members of the board visit the children of the 4800 floor to hand out numerous items ranging from 48” color TVs and laptop computers to iPods and Barbie dolls, or whatever the children are wishing for to possibly take their immeasurable amount of pain away for at least that mere moment.
Bell tirelessly continues to raise funds for this charity by driving all over Southern California and north, south, east or west to whomever will listen to his life’s dedication to helping these children through the toughest battles of their lives. One of his favorite expressions is “Whatever it takes.”
After 19 years of service, Bell retired from the Riverside Sheriff’s Department at the rank of Sheriff Corporal. He also served his country in the United States Marine Corps as a First Sergeant (retired).
As Bell continues his commitment to DCMF, he now has another project near and dear to his heart. As a retired Marine returning home from a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1970, Bell was well aware of the mistreatment of all those war heroes who did not receive the welcome home they deserved. His newest project will be the inaugural appreciation dinner, Welcome Home Veterans, giving American veterans the recognition they deserve. Bell justly believes that we must continue to remind others of those sacrifices that these brave men and women go through and show them the truly honorable welcome home they so rightly deserve.
